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We are content seeing sexualized bodies, but the moment we gaze upon something that does not serve our sexual egos we are offended. Highlighting the fact that the vagina is used for something other than sex is a direct attack on our idyllic conceptions of a manicured feminine identity. We are not outraged by blood. We see blood all the time. Blood is pervasive in movies, television, and video games. Yet, we are outraged by the fact that one openly discusses bleeding from an area that we try to claim ownership over.

What's with the divide between arts and sciences? Has it always been the case? Historically, no. Google the word "polymath," and you'll find a whole lot of thinkers whose ability to think both creatively and technically not only made them interesting, but also more successful. I'm not alone in thinking that this great divide has done us a great disservice.

When someone asked me why I wasn't feeling well, I told them I'd lost our first child. When an old friend asked me about the pregnancy that I'd announced so early, I told her it ended in miscarriage. And the most amazing thing happened -- the world didn't end.

Historically, our Indian society has been so ashamed of dark skin that we have painstakingly shown the Western world only our fairest, and lightest-skinned leading Bollywood actresses. Western civilization has learned from us that these fair-skinned women are "what Indian women look like." And, if that is all they see, then that is all they will ever know.

While I was still under anaesthesia, my OB broke the news to my husband, and told him they had to make a decision on my behalf: I needed a hysterectomy, and it was either now or a few months down the road.

One of the best places to look for alternatives is nature. Antibiotics were first discovered in natural species -- fungi to be exact -- and a number of options for the future have been found. Now it seems there is another possible option worth exploring: turmeric.

Why do I constantly feel what I've done isn't enough? After 15-hour days, I somehow feel guilty sitting down to rest. Whenever people approach me to offer help, I often wonder if they're thinking, How can she be tired? She's not working.

Rumours have been swirling about a black James Bond for years. Mike Le of RaceBending.com believes people who think of themselves as "post-racial" will find a way to twist this theatrical racial reversal, arguing "with this particular event, you're no longer allowed to complain about racism." After the Emancipation Proclamation, people said "You're not allowed to complain because we freed the slaves." There is a contingent of concerned African-Americans who recoil the idea of giving autocrats a rope -- until they can ascertain who will ultimately be hanging from it.

What I do not regret is this: my struggle shaped me, and changed me, and helped me become the person I am now. That is, a woman that seeks progress, not perfection. A woman who knows that no matter how far down you go, you can come back, a mother that has earned her way back into this precious boy's life, and learns every day how to parent better.

It's important to reconsider the romanticized notion that being your own boss is the key to happiness in life. Although there are many benefits to being an entrepreneur, for some, the psychological toll isn't worth it.

Recently, I was in the grocery store spending what I considered to be a large amount of money. I am friendly, chatty and polite. My cashier wasn't interested at all. When I paid her and said, "Thank you," all I got back was an "Un-huh." For the next seven days, make a point to be polite and use manners that would make your grandmother smile.

No matter how rational or confident you are, the mean things people say can have an impact. The negative thoughts seep in when you don't even realize it. Even a little joking comment could do some damage. Hopefully this can help us all be more aware of our impact on others.

I get it, Playboy is a men's lifestyle magazine, it's not the New Yorker. And I love and appreciate the female form just as much as the next guy (or girl). But the clever balance between sex and smart story-telling, art and entertainment, politics and satire has shifted. Like a viral celebrity sex tape or a generation desensitized by the internet, the thrill is gone.

If you find yourself being manipulated by a loved one with an addiction, you'll need to ask yourself why you're allowing this to happen. That will be your first step toward stopping it. If you're not sure how to change your enabling patterns, please consider reaching out for help.

The necessity to help muster up food at the last moment to offer and share with unexpected visitors gave me that unique opportunity to be different. We were fortunate enough to have a variety of dishes from global cuisines served because my parents were avid travellers who brought back recipes and food ideas like other tourists bring home curious and knick knacks.

On my Tumblr blog I've gotten creepy messages, and had my personal photos posted on ebony fetish blogs. Some might say that the solution to avoiding this kind behavior is to delete my blog or my profile, to block the guys I don't like and focus on the ones I do.

When I was 15, I decided I wanted to look more like the women I saw in the magazines. By the time I was 18, I had dropped to 89lbs and was hospitalized for internal organ failure. If I could go back in time, here are the eight things I know now that I wish I'd known in my 20s.